Houzan Mahmoud – Individual Award Winner – 2016

She is Founder of Culture Project, a unique platform for Kurdish writers, feminists, artists and activists to raise awareness about gender and feminism in Kurdistan and Kurdish diaspora in UK.

She was one of the leading figures of the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq.

Houzan has led many campaigns internationally, including campaigns against ‘honour Killings’, the rape and abduction of women in Iraq, and against the imposition of Islamic sharia law in Kurdistan and Iraqi constitution.

She was born in Iraqi Kurdistan in 1973 and currently residing in London.

Her articles were published in UK publications including The Independent and The Guardian, The Tribune, The New Statesman, Huffington post and others.